Martinsville Police Department Sgt. John Richards serves as an extra safety presence outside Martinsville High School at the end of the day on Friday, April 5, 2013.

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Indiana school districts would be given the ability to opt out of a controversial legislative proposal that called for an armed employee in every charter and public school.

Changes advanced Tuesday by the House and Ways and Means Committee would allow schools to decide each year whether to opt out of the proposed requirement. The amendment also prohibits the release of information that shows which schools decide to have armed personnel and which do not.

The committee voted 16-7 to send the amended Senate Bill 1 to the full House. ...